ICRISAT, ICAR to host global Dryland Congress 2026 in India
The event will bring together researchers, policymakers, businesses, and farmers to discuss practical solutions for dryland agriculture across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
INDIA – The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will hold the Dryland Congress 2026 from September 10 to 12, 2026, at the NASC Complex in New Delhi, India.
The congress will take place under the theme “Transforming Dryland Agriculture through South-South Cooperation.” Organizers say the event will provide a global meeting point for science, policy, investment, innovation, and partnerships aimed at strengthening agri-food systems in dryland regions.
The three-day gathering will bring together leaders from research institutions, universities, governments, industry, development agencies, startups, farmer groups, CGIAR centres, and international organizations. Participants will discuss ways to support dryland farming communities across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other regions facing similar agricultural conditions.
An advisory committee is guiding preparations for the congress. Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT, and Dr M. L. Jat, Director General of ICAR and Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Government of India, lead the committee. Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General for Research and Innovation at ICRISAT, and Dr Devendra Kumar Yadava, Deputy Director General for Crop Sciences at ICAR, serve as co-chairs.
The congress programme will include plenary discussions, technical sessions covering six thematic areas, a Dryland Expo, policy discussions, innovation showcases, startup and industry engagement activities, and the ISSCA Awards, which recognize contributions to South-South cooperation in agriculture.
The announcement comes shortly after ICRISAT and CIMMYT launched a new five-year crop research programme aimed at helping dryland farmers in Africa and India gain faster access to improved crop varieties.
The initiative, launched in Nairobi on May 14 with support from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, focuses initially on sorghum and groundnut crops. Researchers plan to reduce breeding time by at least two years through artificial intelligence, genomic selection, speed breeding, and advanced data systems.
The programme involves partners from Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, India, and the University of Queensland.
Speaking during the launch, Dr de Bang, Senior Scientific Lead at the Novo Nordisk Foundation, said, “This project exemplifies the value of sharing data, infrastructure, genetic resources, and know how across institutional boundaries to deliver meaningful solutions for farmers.”
The new research programme and the upcoming Dryland Congress highlight growing international efforts to strengthen food production in regions affected by drought, heat, crop diseases, and irregular rainfall.
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